Trans-radial access (“TRA”) is an increasingly utilized procedure for peripheral interventions on catheter tables. Peripheral interventions via a patient's left wrist are advantageous from an anatomical standpoint. First, due to proximity and catheter support, sub-clavian, vertebral and certain carotid interventions are more easily performed via a patient's arm rather than the groin. Second, renal and mesenteric vessels have a superior oriented origin, and their access from the arm is easier and more natural. Third, lower extremity interventions, particularly iliac and proximal superficial femoral artery, are more accessible from the arm when there is contralateral disease, or if the iliac bifurcation is hostile.
For the treatment of iliac disease, there are specific potential advantages for a radial puncture compared with the more traditional femoral approach. Femoral access may be difficult when crossing an iliac lesion from the contralateral side. Moreover, precise stent placement may be problematic if contralateral iliac disease needs to be treated. In such cases, TRA may permit same-day discharge and prevent the need to access the contralateral groin and for crossover.
However, traditional TRA platforms do not permit both right and left radial access from either the left or right side of the table. Specifically, existing platforms do not permit left radial access and operation from the right side of the operating table. Additionally, existing arm boards that include radiolucent materials so as to not interfere with medical imaging provide little to no protection from ionizing radiation to, e.g., a doctor performing left radial access procedures from the right side of the catheter table.
What is needed in the field of trans-radial access is a left radial access, right room operation system that is also suitable for use during left radial lower extremity procedures. The system should also reduce or eliminate staff exposure to ionizing radiation during catheterization procedures without impairing the ability to obtain the necessary diagnostic medical images during the procedures. The system also should be economical to manufacture, and it should be simple, effective, and reliable to use and reuse.